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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28414521">Hoppy New Year</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/tastyweeds/pseuds/tastyweeds'>tastyweeds</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>dimisylvix drabbles [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Blue Lions AU, Fluff and Crack, M/M, Multi, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, i will not apologize for the stupidity, no beta we die like Glenn, three men and a bunny</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 17:54:39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,858</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28414521</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/tastyweeds/pseuds/tastyweeds</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Felix takes in the oversized loppy ears, stumpy front legs and massive back feet. </p>
<p>“You adopted dinner?”</p>
<p>Dimitri squeaks in horror.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Felix Hugo Fraldarius/Sylvain Jose Gautier</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>dimisylvix drabbles [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2081112</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>30</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Day One</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I have NO excuse for this. Thanks to/blame <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Euna">Euna</a> for encouraging me.</p>
<p>Angst is my forte, so have some bunnies as a palate cleanser. And somehow I have 2-3 more posts for this so I guess it's a multichapter fic now. These boys rot my brain.</p>
<p>T for some swears, almost entirely from Felix. Also spellcheck keeps trying to change Gronder to Grindr and I think that means Sylvain's hacked my account.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Felix knows he is about to have a bad day as soon as Sylvain pokes his head through their front door, because Sylvain is smiling the extra-wide, toothy grin that means he let Dimitri get them in trouble. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Technically, most of his face is hidden under the mask he purchased “for a good cause,” but after nine months of pandemic hell, Felix knows exactly how to read his boyfriends under facemasks, bandanas, neck gaiters, poorly sewn t-shirts and all the other random-ass coverings they resorted to in early months when Seattle lost its collective mind and bought up a small continent’s worth of surgical masks, toilet paper and weed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>(This mask sheds glitter like a living animal, glitter that arcs in rainbow sprays from an impressive array of iridescent dicks. Hilda designed it as part of a board fundraiser for a sex workers’ support nonprofit, but Sylvain has a stupid number of masks and could have Venbo’d her a cash donation. He did it for the dicks.)</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey babe, have a good morning? How’s work going?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvain’s voice is two notches too high. Felix reflexively begins running through the progressive muscle relaxation routine that his therapist insists he practice for moments like this. Maybe his therapist has a point. Again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvain sets down four bags of groceries and tosses the dicks into the hamper that he insisted they situate directly next to the door beside the table where he’s created a triage station for potential viral contamination. After the regrettable standoff over pizza boxes, Dimitri and Felix surrendered and Sylvain can pointlessly sanitize deliveries in peace. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Felix closes his laptop and studies Sylvain from their expansive sofa. He considers getting up, but their cat is asleep on his lap.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What did you do?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do you mean, ‘what did we do’? We did the big grocery restock, stopped by the barn to check on the horses, picked up cat litter...We ran errands, Felix. Remember errands? It was almost fun.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Felix does not take the bait. First, he never enjoyed running errands with anyone. He orders everything online like a normal person and if he can’t find it online, it probably wasn’t important. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Second, being in a car with Dimitri and Sylvain is a relationship test that he fails. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvain always takes the first fucking parking spot he finds, which means lugging whatever they buy past dozens of empty spots on their pointless trek to west Siberia. When it’s raining, their purchases are consistently soaked through by the time they reach the car, because using an umbrella is for California transplants. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It is the Pacific Northwest. It is ALWAYS raining.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Meanwhile, Dimitri has perfect parking karma. Spots open for him like he’s the king of Seattle — and then he immediately waves in some undeserving parking pirate. It makes Felix want to stab him, and “No Stabbing” is one of their long standing relationship rules, a copy of which Dimitri helpfully stuck to the fridge with little boar-shaped magnets when they bought the house.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>(Felix wanted to take it down immediately, but Sylvain reminded him that “Be Nice to Dimitri” is also on the list. No one gets to argue with the list.)</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Also Dimitri lacks depth perception with his whole missing-an-eye thing. They probably aren’t supposed to let him drive at all.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Where’s Dimitri?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvain grins again. Christ, what the hell did they do?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s bringing in the rest of the stuff. Hey, I picked up some of that double IPA you said you liked last time. Want me to open a bottle?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dimitri clomps onto the front porch and shoulders through the door past Sylvain. Even with a face mask and one good eye, he looks guilty. He’s carrying one of those cumbersome wire puppy pens, half a hay bale and...</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What the fuck is that?” Felix points at Dimitri’s right hand, which holds a pet carrier that they’ve obviously tried to hide under a large bath towel.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, don’t be mad,” Sylvain says just as Dimitri yelps, “Nothing! It’s nothing.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You went to Ashe’s.” Felix folds his arms, debating which one of them he’s going to kill first.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We didn’t mean to,” Dimitri pleads. He drops his Zelda-themed mask directly onto the floor, and Sylvain cringes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The regular pet shop was out of Gronder’s litter, so I texted Ashe and he said the rescue had some left at their store. We didn’t know there was an adoption event until we went inside. Everyone else had a home already, and this poor little guy was just sitting there all alone.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How do they even adopt pets in a pandemic?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, it’s really neat,” Dimitri says. “They have a whole system set up with little socially distanced meeting areas and covered spots to wait outside—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It was a rhetorical question, Dimitri. I don’t actually care.” Felix rubs his temples.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvain clears his throat. “So...do you want to meet him?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do I have a choice? You brought it home.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sure, but Ashe said the rescue will take back any pet if it doesn’t work out. I guess because sometimes people rehome them on their own, and the poor guys wind up in really awful situations? And there are more pandemic impulse pets getting the shaft these days?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just show me the damn cat already. For fuck’s sake.” Felix gives up and gently evicts Gronder, who gives him an evil eye as she slinks into the warm spot he’s abandoned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dimitri and Sylvain are exchanging nervous side-eye now.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ah, okay,” Dimitri chirps in a perky voice that is much, much too high-pitched. “Syl, should we just…” he gestures at the woven area rug.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvain runs a hand over his scarlet hair, mussing the waves into unruly frizz, and then he nods. Dimitri sets down the carrier and lifts the towel back to open the squeaky metal door. Felix peers into the dark interior.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What the fuck is that?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The words haven’t finished leaving his mouth when something ludicrous spotted bounds onto the carpet. Gronder's yellow eyes snap open and the tortie’s battle-scarred ears flatten against her skull. Felix takes in the oversized loppy ears, stumpy front legs and massive back feet. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You adopted dinner?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dimitri squeaks in horror.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Felix, meet Lance,” Sylvain says with a flourish of his hands.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gronder backs into the sofa pillows until she is a pair of enormous pupils glaring at the intruder.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If your rabbit scares my cat...” Felix threatens.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Our</span>
  </em>
  <span> rabbit. And </span>
  <em>
    <span>our</span>
  </em>
  <span> cat,” Sylvain says, coming around the coffee table to plop down next to Felix. He reaches into the pillows and scritches Gronder behind the ears. “You didn’t want a cat, remember? You were so mad when we came home with her. Now you won’t even let either of us brush her.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She doesn’t like it. You don’t do it right,” Felix grumbles. They don’t. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dimitri has stretched all 6-foot-2 of himself on the floor with one hand extended in the rabbit’s direction. Felix occasionally wonders if he is in a long-term relationship with one person and the world’s neediest golden retriever.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The bunny rescue said if you get down on their level, it helps them figure out you’re not a threat,” Dimitri explains, his one sapphire eye sparkling. “They don’t see particularly well.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The rabbit ignores him and investigates the rug like a tiny bloodhound. Dimitri sneezes — he is technically allergic to cats, and Gronder loves rolling on the carpet — and the rabbit whips its head around, makes what sounds like a tiny snort, and stomps its back feet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did the rabbit just growl at you?” Sylvain tries not to giggle and fails.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dimitri looks stricken. “I think I scared him.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then get off the floor and help me set up his pen.” Sylvain nudges Dimitri’s calf with his foot.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Felix looks again at the supplies they’ve lugged into the room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do I want to know how much you spent on this literally unwanted animal?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Doesn’t matter,” Sylvain says. “Tax write-off.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvain waves off his concern. “Don’t worry about it, Fe. Anyway, the rescue gave us a good price on everything. It turns out we had </span>
  <em>
    <span>no</span>
  </em>
  <span> idea what rabbits need.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dimitri is already setting up the 2’ tall pen on the carpet. They live in a 1900s-era bungalow, and while it’s not small, it was not designed for a throuple where two of the three parties involved require California king-sized beds to be comfortable. The pen now occupies a full quarter of their living room, running from in front of the fireplace to the edge of the TV console and back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, this is life in our thirties. This is how we decorate now,” Felix says.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, this is only temporary,” Dimitri assures him. “Lance is litter box trained and we should be able to let him free-roam when we’re around.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Free what?” Felix is not even going to ask about the litter part.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And we’re home all the time for, shit, forever I guess,” Sylvain chimes in, “so really this pen is just until he gets comfortable with us.” He unpacks a...cement mixing tub?...and fills it with wood stove pellets, then slices open the hay bale and grabs a handful.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jesus, Syl,” Felix says as hay flies everywhere. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s okay, the vacuum will get it. You know, it’s pretty cool, apparently if you stick this stuff in the litter box they’ll happily just eat and poop in here all day. I kinda wish I could do that.” Sylvain piles loose hay into the tub and sets it in the pen. He pauses. “Hmm.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s nothing,” he says, looking up at Felix with reddening eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Please tell me you did not forget you’re allergic to hay.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Baby, never. I just figured I’d built up more of a tolerance at the barn. Guess hay dust is more concentrated indoors.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No need to be embarrassed, Sylvain. Remember, I am also allergic to hay,” Dimitri assures him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Felix stares at them both.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Let me get this straight. Mitya, you own and operate an actual horse barn which Sylvain would probably sleep in if we let him.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Therapeutic riding center,” Dimitri clarifies.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And yes, yes I would,” Sylvain nods.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Felix ignores them. “You do this even though you are both allergic to the very substance horses require in copious amounts every day of their inexplicably long, pointless lives. And now, together, you’ve decided that the smart move here — </span>
  <em>
    <span>the wise thing to do</span>
  </em>
  <span> — is adopt an animal that I am still convinced is supposed to be food, and bring it into our actual house despite the fact that it eats the same thing as the horses.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh! Rabbits also have very similar digestive systems to horses,” Dimitri says eagerly. “Neither of them can vomit. We’ll have to learn how to treat bunny colic, I suppose.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I…” Felix gives up. “You at least restocked the allergy pills and the HEPA filters, right?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvain finally looks embarrassed. “Actually, we forgot to get them before we went to the first pet store, and we didn’t want to leave Lance alone in the car.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can sleep with my window open and go get them tomorrow. Besides, Gronder never stays in my room anyway,” Dimitri says sadly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s the spirit,” Sylvain cheers, and sneezes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Because they are all experts in adulting, they bought a house with enough space for everyone to have a designated bedroom. It’s just practical. Sure, most of the time one or two of the rooms stays empty, but as a light sleeper, Felix deeply appreciates having a place to go where he’s safe from Sylvain’s bed colonizing and Dimitri’s regular bouts of insomnia.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Felix retrieves his phone and makes sure it’s still charging, then texts Ingrid.</span>
</p>
<p>
Felix:I am going to kill your partner<br/>
Ingrid: Doing an intake. Video chat later?<br/>
Felix: asap<br/>
Ingrid: might have to be tomorrow <br/>
Felix: no.
</p>
<p>
  <span>He watches Ingrid type and type and type until he knows she isn’t actually going to reply.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The charging symbol on his phone disappears.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh dear,” Dimitri says. “They did warn us to keep him away from cords.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The lop rabbit is sitting in front of Felix’s feet, where it has just neatly severed his phone’s power cable.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Felix glares at the bunny. Lance stretches up on his ridiculous hind feet and, Felix swears to fucking god, gives him a long, trolling stare before biting his jeans and nipping two incisor-shaped holes in the knee.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Awww, I think he likes you,” Sylvain coos. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well I don’t like him,” Felix insists.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You will,” Dimitri nods sagely. “You wind up liking everyone eventually.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Day Two</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>“I’ll leave you to it, my love,” Felix says, smirking. </p><p>Dimitri looks at him in panic and sneezes.</p><p>“Best of luck, boar.” Felix pats him on the shoulder and goes back to bed.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>New Year's Eve chiches!! Apparently what the world needs now are stupid boys and their terrible pets. Far be it from me to deny you.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>In the middle of the night, Felix wakes to the sounds of a break-in.</p><p>Gronder streaks away from her preferred spot behind his knees, and Felix is out of bed, blade in hand, before the crash-and-clatter finishes reverberating through the living room. Let the boys tease all they want about keeping a tantō under the bed. Felix Fraldarius is ready to fuck up some burglars.</p><p>He stalks into the short, narrow hall, ready to strike. Felix is the sword and shield of their house, guardian of their motherfucking galaxy.</p><p>“I’ll cut through,” he mutters under his breath, psyching himself up and pivoting around the corner into the living room. It’s empty. He lowers his weapon and squints in the dark.</p><p>That...thing is on its preposterous hind feet, prairie-dogging up at him from the kitchen.</p><p>“Pardon me, Sir Lagomorph, what do you think you’re doing out? Augh, Felix, what the heck?!”</p><p>Dimitri’s voice startles Felix and he whirls around and maybe swings the blade a little close for comfort, given that Dimitri’s now flattened against the hall cabinet.</p><p>“Could we just…” Dimitri gingerly slides the sword point out from under his chin. He takes a deep breath and chuckles, a little shaky. “I suppose I should be grateful for your protection. Sylvain slept right through it.”</p><p>“Of course he did.” Felix tamps down the adrenaline — okay, and maybe the embarrassment, shut up — coursing through his veins. He sighs and returns the blade to its scabbard in his room, apologizes to Gronder when he finds her wedged behind the nightstand, and follows Dimitri to the kitchen.</p><p>Dimitri is sitting cross-legged on the ceramic floor tiles under the open refrigerator with the entire crisper drawer in his hands. The rabbit has one paw on the drawer lip and appears to be perusing the contents.</p><p>“That can’t be sanitary. Also, how are you helping?”</p><p>“Aw, let him enjoy this, Felix. It’s his first night of freedom.”</p><p>Even though the house is freezing, Dimitri is shirtless and Felix gives in, settling down to snuggle against his solid, warm torso. He wraps an arm around Dimitri and absently rubs a thumb over the crescent-moon scar that runs across his shoulder.</p><p>“Were you even sleeping?”</p><p>“Not really.” The suggestion of a smile flits across Dimitri’s face.</p><p>“Should I be worried?”</p><p>Dimitri inclines his head and kisses Felix on the temple. “No. I promise. It’s the usual holiday slump, nothing more.”</p><p>Felix understands that. God, does he understand. It’s been years since any of them has gone home for the holidays — well, since Felix has gone home; Dimitri doesn’t have one, and Sylvain got himself disowned when they all moved in, as expected. They’ve scaffolded together their own traditions, and for the most part Felix thinks they’ve done a pretty good job of it. Still, this year’s been...a lot.</p><p>“Fuck, it’s New Year’s Eve, isn’t it?”</p><p>Dimitri nods, breath warm on Felix’s face. “Hard to believe.”</p><p>“Poor Sylvain. Can’t even throw a party for me to hate this year.”</p><p>“I think he has a virtual hangout planned for everyone tonight.”</p><p>“Sothis, count me out.”</p><p>Dimitri sets the crisper on the floor and Lance immediately hops inside to decimate the lettuce.</p><p>“You are going to bleach the hell out of that, right? Or at least never tell Sylvain this happened?”</p><p>Dimitri shifts and pulls Felix against his chest. “Probably. But also, you have to come this year.”</p><p>Felix whines.</p><p>“It’s one hour with our laptops. Please? For me? And Sylvain. You know this year’s been hell for him.” He traces the line of Felix’s cheek. “I’ll even wear that awful hat you got me.”</p><p>Felix hates the way his heart flips in his chest.</p><p>“Ugh. Fine. I don’t need you both pouting all night, and I guess it’ll be nice to see everyone. Just make sure Ingrid and Ashe come so I can chew into them about this thing.” He gestures at the crisper as Lance peeks up over the top to consider them while inhaling sprigs of cilantro like a wood chipper. “And you better wear the hat.”</p><p>“As you wish.” Dimitri kisses him on the lips this time, slow and soft. The floor is too hard and the hour too late for anything but a comfortable, lazy makeout session, but Felix isn’t complaining.</p><p>There’s a scuttling noise and Lance exits the box in a spray of shredded veggies. He hops over to Felix and bumps his leg with a velvet-soft nose.</p><p>“I think he wants you to pet him,” Dimitri murmurs from somewhere in the vicinity of Felix’s neck.</p><p>“Your rabbit is interfering with my sex life.” But he’s already smoothing the fur on the bunny’s head as Lance lowers his chin to the floor and grinds his teeth.</p><p>“Our rabbit,” Dimitri says, resting his head on Felix’s shoulder.</p><p>“No.” Why is the fur so soft? And did the little asshole just sigh when Felix scritched his cheeks?</p><p>“Mm-hmm,” Dimitri hums patronizingly.</p><p>“So how do we put him away, exactly? Because we need to do something about this crisper situation before Sylvain wakes up and makes us drag the entire refrigerator to the curb.”</p><p>“Ah, um, let’s see, the shelter volunteer showed us how to...you just need to support the back feet so they don’t hurt themselves....let me just…shoot...oh bother.” Dimitri reaches to scoop the bunny in his arms, and Lance kicks away with impressive agility, leaving a thicket of red scratches on Dimitri’s chest.</p><p>“I’ll leave you to it, my love,” Felix says, smirking.</p><p>Dimitri looks at him in panic and sneezes.</p><p>“Best of luck, boar.” Felix pats him on the shoulder and goes back to bed.</p><p> </p><p>To the shock of approximately no one, Lance is on the couch, nose twitching in triumph, when Felix gets up a few hours later. Dimitri is passed out on the floor, so Felix spreads one of their throws over him and goes into the kitchen to dispose of the crisper crime scene that he fucking knew was still going to be there.</p><p>Sylvain is a late sleeper, but Felix is pretty sure he’s opening up the bar before noon to fill growlers for a few hours. He grabs the drawer to get it bleaching.</p><p>“Babe? What are you doing?”</p><p>Sylvain is bleary-eyed, his hair a disaster. Mornings aren’t his forte, and he forgets about the pen and smashes his shin on the edge, toppling over it to land on top of Dimitri. While they’re disentangling themselves, Felix kicks some of the produce remnants under the fridge.</p><p>“Nothing,” Dimitri answers for Felix, unnecessarily raising suspicion.</p><p>Thankfully, Sylvain spots Lance on the sofa. “Hey, big guy. Look at you getting all comfy already.” He reaches over and scruffles the bunny’s head.</p><p>Dimitri sighs. “Well, I’m glad he likes both of you.”</p><p>“Mitya, you’re being ridiculous. He likes y—,” Sylvain chokes back a laugh as Dimitri sits up, revealing the raised welts streaking his pecs. “Okay, so, you’re off to a rough start. It worked out between you and Felix; I’m sure you can figure out how to woo a bunny.”</p><p>“Shut the fuck up, Sylvain” Felix growls as he scrubs the crisper.</p><p>“You know you love me.”</p><p>“Do I?”</p><p>Sylvain comes over and snakes his arms around Felix’s waist, burrowing his face in Felix’s hair. “Yes. You’re helpless in the face of these chiseled abs, and that’s why you’re going to make coffee, right?”</p><p>Felix snorts and jerks his chin at the full carafe. “Way ahead of you.”</p><p>Sylvain spins Felix around and sticks his tongue down his throat in a way that would be offensive if Felix weren’t in fact so utterly, hopelessly in his thrall.</p><p>“Thanks, baby,” Sylvain croons, winking as he swaggers over and takes the carafe back to the couch.</p><p>“Jesus Christ, Sylvain, don’t drink out of that. Pour yourself a cup like an actual human.”</p><p>“It’s fine, I can make a second pot,” Dimitri volunteers from the rug.</p><p>“NO,” Sylvain and Felix say in unison.</p><p>Sylvain collapses in an armchair and takes a swig from the carafe. “I’ll get one brewing before I leave. Need to get down to the bar early to make sure everyone’s checks are cleared. I want those bonuses to land before the end of the year.”</p><p>Sylvain’s been paying his staff out of pocket since March, and Felix suspects he’s covering more than a few rents, too.</p><p>Like the Blaiddyds, the Gautiers were some of the region’s original tech scions, as close to Seattle royalty as it gets. Dimitri and Sylvain bonded early over an informal competition to get rid of as much of their family fortunes as possible. Felix will never admit that Dimitri’s been a good influence, shifting Sylvain’s interests away from personal vices to more civic-minded redistribution.</p><p>Gronder stalks through the kitchen, twining around Felix’s legs before making her way to the living room. She goes stock-still upon seeing Lance in her favorite napping spot.</p><p>“Oh, this should be entertaining.” Slyvain’s cognac eyes glimmer.</p><p>Dimitri looks worried. “Do you think we should intervene?”</p><p>“Tch. Gronder lived on the streets for years,” Felix scoffs. “She can manage a rabbit.”</p><p>“I’m not worried about Gronder.”</p><p>“Maybe you should be?” Sylvain giggles like a kid as he points at the cat, who’s on the couch approaching Lance like an enemy combatant.</p><p>Gronder carefully stretches forward and gives the bunny’s head a tentative sniff. Lance remains still, apart from the incessant nose wiggling. Emboldened, their cat creeps forward and begins grooming the top of the rabbit’s head.</p><p>“You traitor,” Felix says, ignoring Sylvain and Dimitri’s delight.</p><p>“I am dying of cute overload,” Sylvain declares.</p><p>“This is the best day of my life,” Dimitri says seriously.</p><p>Felix throws a wet towel at his head.</p><p>The fur between Lance’s ears is plastered to his skull now, and it finally seems to occur to him that the cat is potentially interesting. He lifts his chonky head and turns to sniff her nose. She reacts by hissing, smacking him in the face and fleeing back into Felix’s room.</p><p>“Our rabbit just pwned your cat, Fe,” Sylvain laughs.</p><p>“Our cat. Our rabbit,” he growls.</p><p>Dimitri and Sylvain exchange knowing grins that he wants to kiss off their stupid faces.</p><p>“I told you,” Dimitri says.</p><p>“I hate you both,” Felix responds. He glares at Lance. “Don’t listen to them. You haven’t won me over yet.”</p><p>The lop turns his butt towards Felix and begins digging a hole in the couch. Felix hates how much he respects this power play.</p>
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